The surge in early voting in recent years can be traced back to changes recommended by an obscure committee in 2008. This affected everything from how and when we can vote, to what's actually counted on election night.

What is behind our obsession with how everything plays in Lindsay and the rest of Western Sydney? Yes, the election will be won there - and in every one of the 150 electorates across multi-ethnic, multi-dimensional Australia.

With polls hovering around 50-50 for the major parties, it's tempting to proclaim we're in for a close result on July 2. But this ignores what happens on the ground, particularly in marginal seats and Queensland.

We are stuck with opinion polls. Get used to it. So as we head towards a federal election, it's worth examining the most common criticisms of polling and answering the question: how seriously should we take them?

If Malcolm Turnbull comfortably wins the upcoming election, it's possible he will gain the authority to drag the Liberals towards more centrist policies. And this terrifies the conservative culture warriors.

With the Government revealing its planned overhaul of the way we vote for senators, it's worth looking at what system is best to end the preference whispering and bamboozlement that's existed for too long.